Computing The Standards

Our Towns

Somers

April 22, 1997

For teachers, time is always the enemy. There are never enough hours to explain, show examples, delve more deeply into a subject or go slowly, step-by-step with an individual student. Somers school officials have the chance to expand time by creating programs on the Internet that would help students improve their writing skills.

Parents should pay attention. This will be a wonderful learning aid, if youngsters use it.

The school system has received a state technology grant to develop World Wide Web pages that would demonstrate educational standards -- eventually covering many subjects. At first, the goal will be to collect student samples of good writing that can be shared over the school system's internal computer network. The writing would be dissected to explain why one paragraph makes a good argument and why another helps tell a good story. Teachers would share their comments. Students could view samples of a school's best work. It will be an easy, accessible learning tool.

But that's just the beginning. Eventually, the pages would be posted on the World Wide Web for everyone to view. Parents who want to help their children become better writers could call up an example page to help find ways to improve. Teachers from other towns could comment on writing and contribute their personal favorites. Students could study on their own.

Teachers will be meeting this summer to develop the pages and devise standards by which the work will be judged. They already are compiling examples of good writing. They will begin the first phase in the fall. Schools are expected to hold parent and student workshops on the web pages.

Everyone needs good writing skills. Somers' teachers are providing the tools. Parents and students just need to log on.